Article Posted on : - Jul 08, 2010

T-72 Main Battle tank of the Libyan Army. A file photo.

MOSCOW (BNS): Russia is planning to upgrade 200 Soviet-designed T-72 Main Battle Tanks (MBTs) the Libyan armed forces in the coming years.

According to a news report by RIA Novosti, a $1.8 billion arms deal was inked Russia and Libya which also includes the modernisation of 200 T-72 MBTs.

"These T-72 tanks have been in service with the Libyan Army since the Soviet era," a Russian defence industry source was quoted as saying in the news report.

Earlier this year, it was reported that Libya is planning to procure more than two billion dollars worth of Russian arms including 20 fighter aircraft, T-90S tanks and S-300PMU2 air defence systems.

Libya was one of the largest buyers of Russian-made armaments in the second half of the 20th century. The country has acquired many large military armaments and vehicles as well as small arms since the beginning of the 1970s.

The T-72 was the most common tank used by the Soviet Army from the 1970s. They have been deployed in many battles, including the Soviet-Afghan War, Croatian War of Independence, Chechen War I and II and the recent Gulf War.